The Causes of Color Perception Changes

Although some people are born with color vision defects or general color blindness, others acquire this incurable vision defect during their lifetime. There are four primary reasons for color perception changes.

Statistics

• According to the Mayo Clinic, one in 12 males of Northern Europe descent is born with some red-green color deficiency. Less than 1 percent of females descended from the same region suffer from the same deficiency. For other populations, this figure is even lower. Blue-yellow color deficiency occurs genetically in fewer than one in 10,000 people globally, and total lack of color vision is passed genetically to fewer than one in 30,000 people globally. These numbers represent the approximately 5 percent to 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women who are born colorblind to some degree.

Causes

• Color perception changes and degradation can occur naturally with age. Age related macular degeneration causes visual problems, including color vision deficits. Diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, chronic alcoholism and leukemia, can cause color vision defects. Medications are also responsible for some cases of color perception changes. Drugs, such as antibiotics, high blood pressure medication and barbiturates, can cause changes in color perception. Toxic chemicals, such as carbon monoxide, fertilizers, styrene and carbon disulphide, may cause some color perception changes, and often the changes may be too subtle to notice. Less frequently mentioned, eye trauma is also a cause of color vision deficits. Strokes and accidental eye injury can damage the retina or portions of the brain and lead to color blindness.

Symptoms

• Acquired color perception changes may be mild, moderate or severe. Sometimes changes are subtle, and these changes may only become noticeable after misunderstanding occurs. For example, the sufferer may have a problem identifying changes in traffic light colors. People who work around chemicals known to cause color vision loss should have their vision checked periodically so that any changes can be detected and the proper care prescribed.

Treatment

• There is no treatment to remedy inherited color vision deficits. In cases of acquired color vision defects, some color vision may be regained when the underlying disorder is treated. There are also specialized colored eyeglass lenses and contact lenses that may increase the wearer's perception of contrasts--however, they will not enhance the ability to see colors.

Considerations

• Those affected by color perception changes are being acknowledged by computer developers. Gnome desktop developers have created an applet that allows users to modify the appearance of their desktop colors and themes to accommodate visual aptitude. In addition, website designers have access to Vischeck, a website that runs two algorithms. One algorithm, Vischeck, enables users to see how images and websites look to viewers who are color blind. The other algorithm, Daltonize, allows users to digitally alter images so that they are more accessible to people who have some degree of poor color vision acuity.